Machines to slice clusters of rolls by cutting the same inwardly from one side between the top and bottom of the rolls commonly use disk-like knives rotated at high speeds, each knife slicing pairs of connected rolls simultaneously for the major portion of the width of the rolls, thereby leaving a so-called hinge along one unsliced edge of each roll. In order to provide for the passage of the shafts which support the disk-like knives along the joints between the upper portions of the rolls to be sliced, different techniques have been utilized.
One early technique was to employ a vertical knife which partially sliced adjoining rolls in a cluster, substantially along the joint between the rolls, the vertical knife being positioned ahead of the horizontal slicing knives. Normally, the vertical slicing knives were arranged to slice downwardly from the top of the cluster of rolls to a depth approximately midway between the top and bottom of the rolls, to thereby provide clearance for the shafts of the horizontal slicing knives when the rolls containing the partial vertical slits reached the knives. One example of this type of machine is disclosed in expired U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,780, the inventor of which is the same inventor named in the present application.
Thereafter, machines were developed using a different approach to provide for passage of the shafts of the knives. In particular, instead of a knife, a roll breaking arrangement was provided ahead of the horizontal slicing knives to break apart the pair of rolls along the joint between them and above the slice made by the knife, in order to provide clearance between the rolls for passage of the shaft of the knife. This roll breaking arrangement typically has a pair of rotating spindles with adjacent lower ends which each have a chisel-like shape. Examples of machines of this type are disclosed in expired U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,911,769 and 4,049,171, each of which was invented by the same inventor named in the present application.
While all of these prior approaches have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been satisfactory in all respects. For example, if a joint between two rolls was not in proper traverse alignment with the vertical knife or the roll breaking arrangement, the vertical knife or roll breaking arrangement would tend to cut or tear an edge portion of one of the rolls, instead of cutting just the joint between the rolls.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a roll slicing mechanism which is capable of accurately and reliably positioning the joint between two rolls in accurate traverse alignment with a roll breaking mechanism such as a vertical knife or rotating spindles, while spreading the rolls prior to engagement of the rolls with the knife or roll breaking arrangement in order to substantially eliminate tearing or cutting of the rolls themselves.